Cochemea Gastelum, one of New York City’s most in-demand saxophonists, has been a key player in the blossoming new soul and Afrobeat scenes that have leapt out of Brooklyn to take the world by storm in recent years. The versatile Brooklyn-based musician has performed and/or recorded with a diverse group of artists, including Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, Archie Shepp, Paul Simon, Antibalas, Public Enemy, The Roots, The Budos Band and Amy Winehouse. However, with The Electric Sound of Johnny Arrow,his debut release as a solo artist,Gastelum has carved out a whole new sound.
An eclectic listener as well as player, Gastelum has drawn from a myriad of
influences, including the effects-laden excursions of Eddie Harris' electric
saxophone, the percussion-driven orchestrations of War and the winding horn
dimensions of Mulatu Astatke. The Electric Sound of Johnny Arrow is a collection of instrumentals that range across the global rhythmic horizon,from Afro-centric jazz to keyed-down “Low Rider” jams, to vintage boogaloo,
raw soul, lilting Brazilian strains, and beyond. Through it all, Gastelum peels back the layers of his story through his horn.
“The Electric Sound of Johnny Arrow is about the end of one journey and the
beginning of another,” the artist notes. “It’s about staying true to the
inner voice, respecting the ancestors and those who pioneered before us."
Gastelum not only pays tribute to to his elders' ways and sounds, but
respects that very pioneering spirit with which they blazed new trails,
where others had not yet been before -- fearlessly creating a sound that is
at once past, present and future. The solo project was inspired by a dream
he had that related back to his Native American roots. Upon this
realization,the complete vision for the album was formed. With this debut
release, Cochemea Gastelum at last steps out, front and center, reaching
from the past into to the future while remaining in the ever-present now.
